Editor's Pick: 15 of the best movies on Amazon Prime Video Australia

It may be light on latest and greatest, but Amazon Prime Video Australia offers a treasure trove of cinema hits from the past twenty years. Catch up on the modern classics you've missed or find a blast from the past here with our editors' hand-picked favourites.

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Palm Springs

Alex's analysis: One of 2020's best movies, which is appropriate, because Palm Springs is a very 2020 movie

Alex's rating:

Starring the always excellent Andy Samberg (Nyles) and Cristin Milioti (Sarah), Palm Springs is a fun comedic twist on Groundhog Day time loop genre. The pair play strangers who meet at Sarah's sister's wedding, only to get stuck in a time loop where they are forced to relive the day over and over. The film never takes itself too seriously, drips so much charm you'll need a bucket and a mop, and has a strong emotional core to back it up. And given how 2020 shook out, I'm sure most of us can relate to being stuck in a time loop - Alex Choros

Midsommar

Alex's analysis: One of the decade's best horror movies. 

Alex's rating:

Midsommar is just as a much breakup movie as a horror. After psych student Dani's parents are found dead, she decides to join her emotionally distant boyfriend and his friends on a trip to Sweden to witness the summer festivities of a reclusive pagan cult. While often confronting, as with Hereditary, director Ari Aster expertly wields genre tropes to explore personal trauma. A must watch - Alex Choros

Pitch Perfect

Anula's notions: It's acca-awesome.

Anula's rating:

You acca-believe it's worth spending 90 minutes of your life watching this movie. Check out every female stereotype, hilariously over exaggerated, and crammed together as an acapella singing sensation. Oh and Rebel Wilson is there. Get set on your couch for some horizontal running. - Anula Keenan

The Lighthouse

Alex's analysis: A slow descent into madness, as a treat

Alex's rating:

The Lighthouse is a tense slow burn of a psychological horror following two lighthouse keepers - Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe - on the edge of sanity. Shot in black and white and 4:3, The Lighthouse not only emulates the feel of Hitchcock era horror, but the look. It's a surreal assault on your senses, and relishes in making you uncomfortable. All in all, a great time. If you're into that - Alex Choros

Between Two Ferns: The Movie

Anula's notions: A mockumentary about Zach Galifinakis’s public access TV show trying to get picked up for prime time by a cashed up Will Ferrell.

Anula's Rating:

Based on the series of the same name, we follow Zach’s journey to *jazz hands* “become a star". When Ferrell approaches Zach with the chance to take his show to the big leagues, his crew and his two ferns embark on a road trip to perform a series of err… problematic interviews, with high-profile celebrities. 

For fans of the show, you can expect the trademark cringe worthy interviews and a surprisingly sweet story about following your dreams. Yep, some moments are laugh-out-loud while others are laughable - but that’s exactly what you’d want from a Between Two Ferns movie - Anula Keenan

The Vast of Night

Alex's analysis: A suspenseful sci-fi slow burn. 

Alex's rating:

The Vast of Night isn't your usual sci-fi. Instead of relying on flashy special effects or CGI, the film plays out more like a radio drama or a podcast. It tells, rather than shows. Set in 1950s New Mexico, The Vast of Night follows switchboard operator Fay and radio host Everett and on a supernatural scavenger hunt after this discover a strange audio frequency on the air. While the dialogue does all the heavy lifting, The Vast of Night is nonetheless a suspenseful tour de force - Alex Choros

Looper

Alex's analysis: Time travel done right. 

Alex's rating:

Before Rian Johnson directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi, he cut his teeth on Looper. The film is a mind-bending time travel thriller where Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a hitman tasked with killing marks from the future. His next target: his older self (Bruce Willis). Embracing paradoxes that would cause lesser films to unravel, Looper is a smart, satisfying sci-fi jaunt - Alex Choros

Fantastic Mr Fox

Jacqui's gist: Stop motion animation adds new charm to this adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's classic.

Jacqui's rating:

All parents know that there are two kinds of kids movies: ones your children will enjoy, and ones you will enjoy too. Fantastic Mr Fox is the second kind. Directed by the whimsy wonder-man Wes Anderson, Fantastic Mr Fox is a visual feast, a masterpiece of deadpan comedy, and an action-packed adventure to boot - Jacqui Dent

Somm

Alex's analysis: A must-watch journey down the rabbit hole into the world of professional wine tasting.

Alex's rating:

Somm is a nerve-wracking look into one of the weirder parts of the wine world, following four nerds in their attempt to pass one of the hardest tests in the world: the Master Sommelier. While studying might seem a drab premise for a movie, Somm succeeds at turning wine tasting into a tense tale of obsession. You'll need a glass or two to get through this one - Alex Choros

Inglourious Basterds

Jacqui's gist: One of the most satisfying World War II movies ever made. 

Jacqui's rating:

In one of Quentin Tarantino's finest features, Brad Pitt leads a team of guerrilla soldiers behind enemy lines during World War II. Their one mission: to kill Nazis. Or more specifically, to terrify Nazis by brutally killing as many as possible. The "Basterds" are good at what they do and eventually graduate from persecuting Hitler's troops to coming after the man himself. Revenge has never been so sweet - Jacqui Dent

Arrival

Alex's analysis: A smart sci-fi slow burn. 

Alex's rating:

Arrival is an instant classic; a smart science fiction flick that trades in blockbuster spectacle for an unforgettable story. Sure, it's the story of a translator trying to decipher an alien language in attempt to prevent intergalactic war, but trust me, this is far more than a language lesson. Sophisticated and thoughtful - Alex Choros

How to Train Your Dragon

Jacqui's gist: Toothless the Dragon is the real star of this movie. And I suppose the humans are okay too.

Jacqui's rating:

There's usually something kind of corny about dragons. I've never much liked them but I love the dragons in this movie. The animators of How to Train Your Dragon have brought a lifelike authenticity to these fantasy creatures that is rarely seen in film. You will come out of this movie in love with Toothless the Dragon and inspired by his Viking friends. Beyond the captivating creatures, How to Train Your Dragon is a funny and thoughtful story about learning to see a friend where others see a fearsome beast - Jacqui Dent 

Knives Out

Alex's analysis: A gloriously fun take on the whodunit genre

Alex's rating:

After the apparent suicide of a wealthy 85 year old mystery novelist, private detective Benoit Blanc - played by Daniel Craig - is called in to investigate. Equal parts murder mystery and dysfunctional family drama, Knives Out is a laugh out loud hilarious take on a classic genre that both embraces and subverts its tropes. Just try not to enjoy this wild ride - Alex Choros

Sharknado

Jacqui's gist: I know this is a list of great movies and Sharknado is legit terrible. But shut up, okay? Bad movies can be so good to watch.

Jacqui's rating: 

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to watch a grown man chainsaw his way out of a shark's belly, you're in luck. Because Sharknado delivers. Sure, you might have questions about the physics of it. But you might also have questions about the physics of a hurricane filled with sharks. Don't worry about the physics. Worry about the sharks. The angry, flying sharks and the chainsaws and the bombs that will be needed to kill them. Sharknado takes the "it's so bad it's good" movie and elevates it to a kind of artform. The story is crazy stupid, the graphics are bad and the acting is downright awful. And the result is magnificent. Watch with friends and beers - Jacqui Dent

Mean Girls

Jacqui's gist: Fourteen years on, Tina Fey's teen comedy has become "one of the most referenced cultural products of all time online," according to The Guardian. That is so fetch.

Jacqui's rating: 

If you're one of the millions of people who love Mean Girls, you don't need me to tell you why it's awesome. Just know that you can relive the magic now on Amazon Prime. If you haven't seen Mean Girls yet, you need to get onto that. It's a ridiculously smart and funny exploration of toxic social cliques in high school. More importantly, it will help you understand all the memes and GIFs that have been going over your head for years. This is unapologetically a movie for teen girls but if you're not one, still watch it, because who says teen girl issues aren't important? - Jacqui Dent